Process of forming fuel



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To all whom it may concern:

Hazleton and Improved rocess of Forming Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

In the specification of U. S. Letters Patent No; 1,287,382'granted to me December. 10,

1918 I have described a process of forming fuel in which anthracite culm' is mixed with hard pitch and the volatile elements of the pitch are distilled off whereby there is produced a dense fuel having the essential qualitiesof anthracite coal. I have now discovered that by substituting coking bituminous coal for the pitch and mixing this with anthracite culm in proper portions and subjecting the mixture to distillation, temperature under proper conditions which I have discovered by experiment I can secure substantially the same results as by the emtion of anthracite particles in one lace and,

ployment of pitch according to my former process. In carryingmy invention Into effect in order to produce a relatively dense fuel without cell structure, which is the object of my improvements, it is necessary that both the anthracite and bituminous elements shall be finely round and intimately mingled so as to orm a uniform mixture in which fine particles of both are in contact throu bout the mass. This enables the fine particIes of anthracite to be imbedded in and held by the bituminous element as a matrix when the latter is softened in the course of distillation. If on the contrar the particles of coal are too coarse, not on y will the particles of anthracite fall to be held by the softened bituminous coal, because of the less intimate contact between the two,

. so that the particles of anthracite will tend to break away or scale off from the mass but there will also be a tendency to the formation of cellular structure in the larger particles of the bituminous coal. Again if the two are not mixed with suflicient intimacy and'uniformity so that there is an aggregaof bituminous articles in another t e aggreated anthracite particles will not be imdded in and held by the bituminous while there will be a tendency to the formation of cellular coke structure in the aggregation of bituminous articles. I

Accordingly in carrying. my invention into efiect I first grind or pulverize anthracite .simmcauo or mars Patent. t t 22,. ap umion alea larch 22, 1920. Serial no. seam.

the two, I mix them in any usual or convenient' manner before grinding and grind or pulveriae them together thus obtaining a umform dlstrlbution of the two throughout the mass. In formin themixture regard must be had to the re ative proportions in which the anthracite and bituminous coal are employed. Thus I find that if the mixture contalns less than approximately25 r cent of coking coal the matrix formed wi 1 be insufiiclent to give the desired degree of cohesion and the particles of anthracite will tend to vbreak away or scale ofi? from the mass, while if as much as 45 per cent of coking. coal is employed there is a tendency to develop an undeslrable cellular structure like coke, I accordingly preferably employ in the mixture a proportion of cokingcoal between, or not outside of these extremes, say from 30 to 35 per cent of coking coal to from 70 to per cent, of anthracite culm which proportions find in practice give ood results.

This mixture having been pu verized and thoroughly .mixed as above described is compacted, into asuitable closed retort, such as an ordinary coke oven and heated at such a temperature and for such a time as to drive off the volatile matter from the coking coal. ThlS 1s done in the manner ordinarily empkiyed in cokmg bituminous coal.

referably I employ a temperature of 700 C., and upward, a somewhat lower temperature will effect the desired result but is not economically desirable on account of the longer time required.

On account of the loose condition of the mass and the small size of the particles employed the gases given off pass freely out of the retort without causing the develo ment of any cell structure and because of t e in tlmate and uniform contact between the particles of the anthracite. and coking coal the former become imbedded in the softened mass of the latter as in a matrix. When the volatile matter has been driven off from the coking coal the mass is discharged from the I retort and quenched with water to prevent combustion in the air.

as a fuel for domestic use or for making steam.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and .desire to'secure by Letters Patent is v 1. The process of producing a homogeneous, non-cellular carbonaceous fuel which consists in forming a mixture of an thracite slack and coking bituminous coal in the proportion of not less than sixty per cent of anthracite and not more than forty per cent of bituminous, grinding the mixed coals together to such fineness that approximately all the mass will pass through a 20 mesh screen and at the, same time intimately mixin}; the components, charging the mixed mass wlthout compacting into a retort and-heating it to such temperature as to soften the bituminous particles and drive off their volatile elements.

2. The process of producing a homogeneous non-cellular carbonaceous fuel which consists in forming a mixture of anthracite slack and cokin bituminous coal in the proportion of not ess than percent of anthracite and not more than 40 per cent of bituminous, grinding the mixed coals together to such fineness that percent of the mass will pass through a 40 mesh screen and per cent thereof through a 20 mesh screen, and at the same time intimately mixing the components, charging the mixed mass without compacting into a retort and heating it to such temperature as to soften the bituminous particles and drive off their volatile elements.

In testimony. whereof I aflix my signature, this 20th day of March 1920.

DONALD MARKLE. 

